INTRODUCTION

Here’s the kind of adventure about which many people dream but few experience. Venture Out is pleased once again to offer this very popular tour for the sixth time. It blends a splendid sampling of African culture, incredible wildlife, other outdoor activities, great food and wine, and gorgeous scenery — beginning in Cape Town, one of the world’s most beautiful cities. We will cover a vast, majestic land, and this is sure to be the trip of a lifetime! Cape Town is certainly one of the world’s most scenic cities. We will visit the environs of the city: the lovely Winelands area that produces most of South Africa’s excellent vintages and home to some acclaimed restaurants, as well as the fantastically scenic Cape Peninsula down to the Cape of Good Hope at the “bottom of Africa.”

Our first wildlife safari experience will take place in and near the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. A vast area of plains, interrupted by rocky outcrops, the 300-square-mile reserve hosts packs of the endangered wild dog. In addition there are healthy predator populations — lion, cheetah, and leopard. Black and white rhino and a wide range of antelope are numerous. Birdlife is outstanding as well, with numerous species of the nearby Kalahari Desert. Our intimate-in-size luxury safari lodge, with welcoming service and exceptional cuisine, is situated on private ground and hidden in lush riverside forest.

The country of Botswana, our next stop, is exceedingly rich in wildlife, and its vast expanses of nature are filled with a wide variety of fauna and flora to see and experience. In fact, some safari aficionados consider Botswana to be Africa’s best country for this type of experience owing to its policy of keeping the number of visitors on the low side. We experience one of the world’s great natural phenomena, the tranquil Okavango Delta, a 6,000-square-mile inland flood plain (larger than Connecticut) that fans out in the northwestern corner of the country, creating a paradise of palms, papyrus, crystal-clear channels, and backwaters. Set in a massive sea of Kalahari Desert sand, this fragile wonderland of waterways, islands, and forests is an oasis for wildlife, drawn to its life-giving waters from the surrounding thirsty lands. The evening air is filled with the sounds of birdcall, frogs, and antelope rustling in the reeds. Wildebeest, buffalo, and zebra roam the islands; elephants wade across channels under the watch of hippopotamus and crocodiles; and predators like lion and leopard rule the night. You will never forget our small-scale luxury safari “camp” here with its beautiful accommodation, very warm staff, and delicious cuisine.

Straddling the border between the countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia,Victoria Falls is justifiably called one of the Wonders of the Natural World, and spans a little more than a mile, making it the widest show of its kind on earth. The sight of more than 2 million gallons of water per second from the Zambezi River crashing 350 feet down (twice the height of Niagara) is one not easily forgotten. On a clear day, the veil of the roaring spray can be seen from up to 20 miles away, and the rain forest that clings to the cliffs opposite the falls in the Victoria Falls National Park is nourished by this constant spray. It is this phenomenon that gave the falls its local name: Mosi-Oa-Tunya — literally, “the smoke that thunders. Our new luxury lodge on the Zambezi River is located just a short distance upstream from the falls.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Following is a description of the excellent lodgings we intend to use as we plan this tour. Please note however that we reserve the right to make changes to these accommodations.

Cape Town, South Africa — 3 nights

Information to come . . .

Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa — 3 nights

Luxurious accommodation, exceptional cuisine, welcoming service, and thrilling game viewing combine to create an unforgettable luxury safari experience. Situated on private ground within the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa’s North West Province, the lodge caters for a small number of guests, ensuring personal attention and exclusivity in its luxurious and air-conditioned suites. The reserve is home to the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo) plus cheetah, giraffe, hyena, and a host of other game and bird species. Expert guides are at the ready to reveal all of this to you. Additionally, our lodge is is located on 4,000 acres of privately owned ground which is reserved exclusively for the guests.

Designed to have minimal environmental impact — constructed from local stone, wood, and thatch and blending effortlessly with the bush — the lodge allows guests to continuously experience the natural beauty of the surroundings. Hidden in riverside forest, the suites, each with glass-walled bedrooms, overlook the Limpopo River, offering uninterrupted views of the surrounding bush. The suites also have private sundecks and spacious bathrooms (with roll-top bathtubs as well as indoor and outdoor showers) that can be opened to the forest. On the property are an infinity-edge swimming pool, gym, health and beauty treatment center, and lookout point with magnificent views. Further, our lodge prides itself on the exceptional quality of its food and wines, adding another memorable dimension to your stay.

Click on images below to enlarge.

Okavango Delta, Botswana — 3 nights

Our camp in the renowned Okavango Delta is a classic African tented camp with just a handful of luxury canvas tents, all remodeled in 2018 as we publish this itinerary and crafted with five-star fixtures as well as sustainability in mind. The traditional camp is built on a 260,000-acre private concession and has a large lounge area and dining area with lovely views over the floodplains. The main area features a new outdoor bar with the best possible views of the floodplains, a small library area, and curio shop. From the swimming pool — a real treat after a hot day of game viewing — guests can watch giraffe and other plains game march across the savannah and sometimes catch a glimpse of rare wild dogs. Each tent has a deck with views over the floodplains, allowing prime game viewing from your tent with a freshly made cup of tea or coffee to hand.

The camp is also home to a unique elephant interaction project where you can walk with rescued orphaned elephants — an uplifting experience that will remain with you long after you’ve left.

The Okavango Delta is flooded for part of the year and when it is, guests can experience serene silence at the gentle pace of a poled mokoro excursion along the narrow channels. These are 2-person canoes with a poler on the back who steers you through the channels. This activity is water-level dependent.

Sightings of four of the “Big Five” (no rhino in this area) are common here on the Okavango Delta where the wildlife and game viewing is staggeringly special. Shared only with its (even smaller) sister camp this vast patch of the delta in northern Botswana is so private that only the camps’ vehicles tour these precious, pristine grassy plains. This ensures a more exclusive safari experience and allows a deeper connection with the wild.

Click on images below to enlarge.​

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe — 2 nights

Our last accommodation is a private luxury lodge within the Zambezi National Park right on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River that is scheduled to open in the first half of 2018. From the lodge the massive spray of Victoria Falls is visible in the distance about four miles downstream. Each spacious canvas suite has been tastefully decorated with stylish furnishings and fittings and comes with a king size bed, comfortable lounge, complimentary minibar, air conditioning, ceiling fan, mosquito nets, indoor/outdoor showers, twin basins, outdoor bath tub with a view, robes and slippers, private plunge pool, wifi, and a private viewing deck where you can sit and take in the river scenery and whatever might be happening at the moment. The only thing that really resembles a tent is the canvas on the outside. The main lodge has an open-plan lounge and dining area and is positioned just back from the river in view of wildlife that often passes in front (possibly elephant and hippo, for example). There’s also a watering hole on the other side of the lodge where animals congregate when they’re thirsty. The cuisine here is top-notch with a choice wine list. Taking advantage of its position on the Zambezi River the lodge includes a cruise on their own small boats as part of the available activities.

What happens when a couple of gay American tourists ask people on the street in Spain to translate a letter that they received from a homophobic hostel they intended to stay at? Watch this video.

Spain has made remarkable progress in gay rights in such a short period of time. And we’re delighted to continue our very popular tour “Andalucia — Soulful Southern Spain” in April 2016. This region of Spain oozes charm and beauty and culture, and some would avow enthusiastically that Andalucia exudes the true soul of Spain.

We’re so excited that Bhutan is back on our calendar this year!! The trip dates are October 10 to 19 — an excellent time of year to visit this intriguing and beautiful little country in the Himalayas and its warm and lovely people. You can read more about this special trip here.

This is a commendable move. While great progress has been made in the U.S. and many other countries, there are unfortunately many places in the world where being openly gay is difficult, even dangerous. As an operator of escorted tours for LGBT travelers around the globe for 18 years we too are doing our part to act as ambassadors.

We’ve now the set the dates for our new trip to Bhutan: October 10-19, 2015. You can read about this wonderful and exotic adventure here and learn more about this unique, tucked-away destination! This will be our second group tour to this fascinating, remote land. Bhutan is truly out of the ordinary with its beautiful, warm people; intriguing culture; and stunning scenery. Our tour leader is gay, has led some 20 trips to Bhutan over the past decade, and he will introduce us to some members of the Bhutanese gay community along the way.

January 15 is the deadline to enroll on our gay Japan tour at the current promotional pricing. In recent weeks the value of the Japanese Yen has fallen significantly against the U.S. dollar so we’ve passed along our reduced costs to the price of the tour itself.

In order to take advantage of the greatly reduced pricing (a reduction of $400 to $500 per person) your trip enrollment form has to be received by Friday, January 16, and both the first and second deposits must be made at that time (a total deposit of $1,419 per person).

If you’re thinking of doing this fascinating trip this is the time to act to lock in the savings! If you’d like references we can put you in touch with previous travelers who’ve done this very tour.

Nice to see Cape Town, South Africa make it onto the list of Conde Nast Traveler‘s 15 Places You Must Visit in 2015. We’ve long been an admirer of this beautiful — and gay-friendly — city at the bottom of the African continent. When we started running tours in 1998 Cape Town was in our first batch of gay tours. And we’ve been back with several more groups since then. This year we’ll be there yet again as we kick off our ever-popular Southern Africa Trifecta tour from July 27 to August 6. This trip is a splendid combination of the Cape Town environs; a superb wildlife safari in Botswana; and stunning Victoria Falls.